Production Talk : 'Beyond the Band by Team SEJA - 48 Hour Film Project, Singapore 2009

"In May 2009, the 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours. Each team were given:

• * A specific genre
• * Prop : Scissors
• * Character: Amy/Andy Yeo, Journalist
• * Line of dialogue: Is it supposed to look like that? "

Team SEJA was a team that worked with cast and crew from both Perth and Singapore to produce their film within the 48Hour time frame despite the wide difference in distance. Team members; Muhammad Zaki (Director), Eunice Wong (Director/Editor) and Sueanne Teo (Producer/Editor/Team Leader) shared with Sindie their "Behind The Scenes" stories and their memorable moments on the set.



Li: How did the team managed to get everything organized within the short period of time (eg; planning, location/actor selections, etc)?

Zaki: Days leading up to the launch of 48HFP competition, we have started toying with some ideas for possible genres we might come across. A lot of research was done. Basically, we had a rough idea of what we wanted to do for most genres, so when we somehow got Mockumentary, it was almost as if Lady Luck was smiling upon us as we liked the idea of a Mockumentary very much and we were pretty much leaning more towards that genre, in terms of ideas.

Eunice: We learnt from the past – a huge group brainstorming and trying to write a script together, is too many cooks. With 2 writing the script, it became much easier and faster. Shooting with two units also saved us loads of time – Perth wrapped up the shoot by 4.30pm. We also had schoolmates with perfect timing, i.e. Chris Nixon, who walked into the studio at 11pm with his awesomely stylish cousin Danni (who became the female lead in our film).

Zaki: For our Singaporean unit, we were really thankful for the actors/actresses who came down to help us out. They pretty much responded to our calls in the wee hours of Saturday morning and were more than happy to let us shoot them for the whole of Saturday.

Sue: In order to maximise our time, we shot everything in one location. All indoor shots were in a single location. For Singapore, it was our HQ (pretty much someone’s attic), and even when we did move outside, it was just walking distance from our HQ. For Perth it was the Curtin Uni TV Studio (exterior shots were also on school compound).

Li: What was you/your team's best experience?

Sue: Being able to say we did an international production in 48 hours. Watching the director make a fool of himself, screaming random nonsense into the mic (in the middle of the night I might add) in an attempt to recreate death metal music.

Zaki: Having my producer watch me make a fool out of myself (and recording it on her digicam), screaming random nonsense into the laptop mic in an attempt to recreate death metal music. Oh. And she put it up on Facebook videos too. Do watch out for that. Mmmm... actually. Don't. It was so embarrassing! The version that made the cut was way better since it didn't have my face plastered on the video. In the film, it's called Sunshine, and was "performed" by the Zombies.

Eunice: Having an amazing crew with loads of initiative who set up the garage/stage for the rock concert by midnight on Friday without me even asking them to. Having access to a TV studio and professional lighting equipment. Having amazing actors who didn't need much direction at all. Seriously, this was the smoothest shoot ever!

Li: What were some of the things learnt during this film's journey?

Eunice: Take into account that Singapore needs time to download too! Doh!

Sue: Backup equipment. Especially lights. One of Singapore's lights died just before we started shooting. =(

Zaki: Yeah, I agree with Sue on this one. We really need to get hold of backup equipment in case things fail. We had to deal with Murphy at every turn. He keeps on popping his head every now and then on set just to make sure things go his way. What can I say? It's Murphy's Law. But on another note, it's really awesome to realize that with the Internet, an FTP server, perseverance, hard work, focus, and a lot of guts and pizzas, we can actually do a collaboration between two units in two countries separated by oceans to achieve something in 48 hours.

The pressure was overwhelming but we still share the same passion for filmmaking and ultimately all of us had fun, and I think, as long as the crew remains a fun bunch, we really did enjoy what we did and that's what counts. Winning something in the competition is totally secondary.

Li: What was the greatest challenge & how did the team over come it?

Sue: This is easy. File transfer. Horrendous internet speeds in both Singapore and Perth. Eunice edited in uni, which had better internet than her home. The internet at our HQ in Singapore was working fine until the last few hours when we had to download Act 3 of the film. At 5.30pm, we started the download, and it had an estimated ten hours remaining. Haha! Thank goodness we had another crew member who lived nearby with significantly better speeds than our HQ. He downloaded and brought it over.

Eunice: We also had a bit of trouble finding groupies for the concert scene at such short notice (everyone seemed to be working on the weekend!). Casting was the producers' job and I was so busy doing other things that I forgot about the people I could have contacted to help! But no matter, our make-up artist came through with 2 of her friends, and the producers, Andrea and David, also got some people to come along. The crew had to be in it as well!

Zaki: We ran out of pizzas too early on Saturday night. That was TRAGIC.



Li: How would you summarise the overall production itself and the yourself/team's experience? All:Read all our cast/crew quotes on the 48HFP Singapore blog! :D

http://www.48hourfilm.com/singapore/blog.php



Sindie's review on their film could be read

here

Production Talk : 'Crumbs' by Al Bajet - 48 Hour Film Project, Singapore 2009

In May 2009, the 48 Hour Film Project is a wild and sleepless weekend in which a team make a movie—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours.

Each team were given:

• A specific genre



• Prop : Scissors



• Character: Amy/Andy Yeo, Journalist



• Line of dialogue: Is it supposed to look like that?

This year, the Singapore Malay Film Society sent in 2 teams to take part in the 48 Hour Film Project. One of the teams was 'Al Bajet', where team member Shamsydar gave Sindie a peep into 'Behind the Scenes' pictures and shared her journey with the team during this 48 hours.

Li: How did the team manage to get everything organized within the short period of time (eg; planning, location/actor selections, etc)?
Shamsydar: It is part of the Singapore Malay Film Society's (SMFS) objective to be provide a one stop portal for filming logistics and talent, so we did have a list of potential actors. Prior to the competition date, we had a meeting to discuss what kind of approach we wanted for our short film, regardless of the elements given. We delegated jobscopes which saved us a lot of time because once we were given the elements, we went straight for the story and plot.

Our story would not have pulled through if not for the team. We were so excited to make the film cause it was the first we were all working together. So naturally we put our heads together to make the best film we could afford to make!
Li: What was you/your team's best experience?
Shamsydar: As for myself, I got excited working with so many people - the total cast and crew was 12 people. My past two short films were pretty much solo projects that I begged people to join me. Being the assistant director for the first time, I knew that the decision lies not with me but the entire crew. I didn't get so worked up because I had a lot of second opinions.

I loved working with Shahrezza, our Director of Photography, because he had his vision, and I had my vision of the film. He usually does action thrillers while I prefer dramas and arts house films. When the three of us, Suffian Zain, Shahrezza and I put our ideas together, it worked like magic.

As for the team, we had fun working with our DIY dolly track. We took turns sitting on it! Haha. But on the serious note, we bonded like family over the 48 hours. Imagine shooting from 9am till 3am - we were tired, sleepy and pretty much drunk on adrenaline.

Li: What were some of the things learnt during this film's journey?
Shamsydar: The best lesson? Many heads are better than one! We had so much fun thinking of a plot that will make the audience want more. We started off with one of life's greatest mystery, as I mentioned in my blog and then proceeded to writing the entire script for Crumbs.

I learnt a thing or two about shooting the right camera angles even if it takes a long time. Film directors tend to be perfectionists so it doesn't matter if we planned to shoot for two hours but end up five hours on set, because details are important. And also, that was the first time I experienced a dolly track, a DIY one that is. It may be fun but the speed of the dolly has to be perfect - not too fast and not too slow.
Li: What was the greatest challenge & how did the team over come it?
Shamsydar: There wasn't any great challenge per se, but I must admit, shooting outdoors when we were losing daylight was scary. We had to split the team so that one half can head to ‘Cinegear’ to get lights and the other to set up on location. While shooting at the cafe in Simpang Bedok, we had to ensure the lighting and and equipments were not disrupting. It was quite frustrating because there were two kids who kept coming into frame as they thought we were shooting for television. Li: How would you summarise the overall production itself and yourself/team's experience?
Shamsydar: It was certainly an experience not to be forgotten. Though we submitted the film late and did not qualify for the finals, we'll be back for next year's 48HFP cause enjoying each other's company and making a film together with the SMFS family is something I'd do again. :)
A Sindie's written review of the film is found here
For a better insight of their journey through Shamsydar's eyes during their 48Hrs, can be found on her blog

Production Talk - 'The Shortest Man in the Village who can Soar Like an Eagle' and 'The Great North Korean Picture Show' by James Leong and Lynn Lee

No black person has ever competed in cycling’s most prestigious race, the Tour de France.

Zakayo Nderi – a shoeshine boy from the slums of Kenya – wants to change history.

In August 2008, Zakayo cycled up L’Alpe D’Huez, the Tour de France’s most famous climb, in a time that would have placed him in the top half of Tour riders - this with no coaching or race experience.

We follow Zakayo over one crucial year of his personal quest. A year when Kenya’s first training camp for cyclists is set up, when Zakayo and his team-mates get professional coaching for the first time, and compete in cycling’s biggest race outside Europe, the Tour de Langkawi. Success this year would give Zakayo a shot at his ultimate goal.

Set in the slums of Kenya, and in the stunning mountainous scenery of three different continents, this is a tale of high adventure that poses an age-old question.

Can raw talent overcome poverty, political uncertainty and prejudice?

*****

James: Straight after homeless fc, in 2007, I was introduced to Nicholas Leong, a photographer and cycling fanatic, who was going through a self-professed "search for meaning".
He'd decided that he could turn Kenyans into world-class climbing specialists, as they are such great endurance athletes. When I found out where his riders came from, their socio-economic background, comparing that to what they are aiming for, I realized we had to make the film.
So we've been in production for almost 2 years now. It's a long process, what they're trying to achieve, which is get to the Tour de France. It's an audacious dream.

Jeremy: What's Nicholas' background in cycling? On what grounds was he selling himself to the Kenyans to believe him and learn from him?
James: He's a fanatic, and a man possessed. So while he admits to not know a great deal about the technical aspects, coaching, diet, etc. He has this incredible energy and sincerity that I think won them over

Jeremy: So can I say the documentary is as much about Nicholas as about the Kenyans?
James: I think the emphasis in characters will shift through the production process. Nick was at first the focus of the camera. Then, gradually, with more time spent in Kenya, the cyclists will become more of the focus.

Jeremy: You have not shot this have you?
James: We've filmed about 100 hours already. But the earliest "natural" ending to a film would be in February, when they're planning to cycle in the Tour de langkawi, the biggest race outside Europe. We're also going to the Tour de Rwanda in November. THAT should be interesting. (pause) But, seriously, we've decided to not kill ourselves making our films. We want to have some funding in place before we shoot so we're doing the cycling film also as a TV project
Lynn: Erm... not kill ourselves? We're working on like four projects at the same time.
James: We have a distributor, Smiley Films out of New Zealand, who are raising funding for us.

Jeremy: That's crazy!!! How do you do it?
James: Keep our heads in the sand!
Lynn: With much coffee.
James: I think with any project, there are natural on and off times documentary projects so we're hoping the on times won't come all at once otherwise you may have to publish our obituaries too

Jeremy: Can you share some interesting moments from your shoot?
Lynn: The highlight was definitely when we went to France with the cyclists. They were trying to cycle up Alpe d'Huez in a time that would qualify them as world-class. Two Kenyans - no racing experience, no professional training. Everyone on the mountain just had to stop and gawp, it was incredible. The guys ended up clocking some pretty remarkable times. Everyone was talking about them. The press caught wind of the story and they ended up in the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, and on various magazines.

Jeremy: Wow... I was going to ask if there was media coverage but I guess as much.
James: It's been an eye-opener, finding out how the world works. How hard it is for some people, born quite by accident in totally different circumstances from ourselves, to get a shot at achieving their dreams. The difficultly Nick had in getting visas to go to Europe for his riders was incredible. And coming into Singapore via Woodlands with two Kenyans, you see in a very immediate way how different people get different treatment, just through an accident of birth really.

Jeremy: How many people were there in your team shooting this? (and travelling around)
Lynn: Just two of us on the team.
Jeremy: So one on sound one on camera?
Lynn: One on first camera, one on second camera.
Jeremy: How about sound?
James: We use wireless mikes on our main subjects, then a boom on the camera for anything else. Sorry, not boom. I mean a directional mike mounted on the camera. We don't boom sound

Jeremy: I see. (pause) You mentioned the Kenyans were in Singapore? What was their experience like?
James: The roads are like carpets, they said and they like chicken rice they were only really here in transit to go to Genting Highlands to train there are no mountains in Singapore
Jeremy: hahaha
James: Not good for training climbers

Lynn Lee: Oh! Zakayo, one of the cyclists signed up for the Swissotel Vertical Marathon and came in first! All the training he had was a couple sprints up some HDB blocks in Ang Mo Kio.
James: He won an osim uSqueeze and a night in the presidential suite at the Swissotel he wasn't sure what to do with either of the prizes
Jeremy: Haha... how did he find the OSIM squeeze?
Lynn Lee: He never took it out of the box. It's still lying in Nick's house somewhere. He thought it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.
James: He also won an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the EMpire State Run-Up in New York. He has all the necessary supporting documents, letters of invitation etc but the American embassy in Singapore turned down their application. They said he should apply in Nairobi but the problem was, it was the time of the political violence in Kenya, Jan 08, so there was no was no way he could get a visa from Nairobi

Jeremy: It sounds like it's going to be a hilarious documentary? Can we expect to laugh a lot?
James: Yes, it'll be funny, but every amusing, crazy story has another side to it.

++++++++++

Jeremy: Tell me about your next project. Is it the one on North Korea?
Lynn Lee: I'm halfway through one about kids in prison in Nepal, and we're still planning for North Korea. Right now, we're also finishing up a TV project about migrant workers. It's always a question of access and funding. Seeking either, can be a long, painstaking process.

Jeremy: Tell me about the North Korea one.
Lynn: Sure. It's very early days yet for that project. We still haven't started filming. But basically the working title is "The Great North Korean Picture Show" and it is a film about North Korea's film industry.

Jeremy: That's already sending images through my head! I like the subject matter. Could you elaborate more on this?
Lynn: Yes, it is fascinating. We were in Pyongyang last year for the Pyongyang International Film Festival and during our time there, we basically discovered that North Koreans really love their movies. The film industry there is bigger and more developed than we'd ever imagined.
Jeremy: I heard bits and pieces about this.
James: It's something that really gives you insights into the culture of the country, how North Koreans regard themselves, historically and in relation to the rest of the world.
Lynn: We also got to meet some of their movie stars and directors - they were actually great fun to hang out with. We thought it'll be fascinating to look at North Korea through their eyes.

Jeremy: It sound very accessible, which is contrary to most people's perceptions of North Korea. How easy is it to shoot something there?
Lynn: It's not, really. The people we met were very easy to talk to. But in terms of securing access, it's not easy. Some people negotiate for years before getting a chance to film there. Given the current geopolitical climate, things are still very sensitive.

Jeremy: How are u preparing for the trip?
James: Furiously trying to raise funding. Anyone out there?

Jeremy: Would you care to share a bit about the angle of this documentary? I mean the North Korean Film industry could be a very broad topic.
James: We always like to put the viewer in our character's shoes, as much as possible. So we hope to build the film around personal stories. It's not just about the industry, but about the people. You're right, it's a broad topic, so who we have access to and which part of the industry, we won't know until we get there.
Lynn: I guess as with our other films, we like to keep an open mind. It's important for us to make the film we find, not the film we think we should make.

Jeremy: Just to help you get funding... anything you wish to say about why an investor should put his $$ into your film on North Korea?
James: it's a rare chance to look into a place that is so, so different from anywhere else. We've negotiated quite a lot of access, four trips over the coming year.
Lynn: So little is known about North Korea, or about its people. They've opened up a rare window for us - extremely rare. I don't think we should turn down the opportunity.

click here to learn more about 'The Shortest Man in the Village who can Soar Like an Eagle'

find out what both James and Lynn are busy with @ their blog

5 Degrees Right in the heart of Little India

5 degrees, a GLBT group that promotes networking for various business opportunities organised a showcase of short films from some of our local GLBT fimmakers. So right in the middle of steamy Little India, we mixed art, business and socialising.

'Pirated' View of Sun Koh's 'Dirty Bitch'
Wei Keong prepares his audience for his films

Tan Wei Keong, Loo Zihan and Jeremy Sing

No laughing matter for some

Wah... So chummy!

'HERE' by Ho Tzu Nyen

The suspicious eyes of a wrinkled, weathered skinned man, He Zhi Yuan, follows a trail of cracks on the ceiling until it reaches the TV wires. With a nasty boom, the TV set is turned on, displaying images of a coup in Thailand. The images seem to utter something to his mind - a virtual time bomb. This cuts to him delivering a tight slap over his wife's face for turning on the TV set. All these happen in a setting that seems a little too spartan, stylised to be real and gritty. But one the other hand, the unnerving silence also gets you under your skin.

HERE's breakthrough as a film on mental illness is in the way it uses form more than content to delivers its intended effect on the audience. Unlike other 'mental' films like 'A Beautiful Mind' where we are witnessing a disorder, here, we partake in it and go through a parallel journey with the patients. So there are no freak show. We see shades of their disorders surfacing in the interviews that they grant the camera, but never in-your-face. You almost view the subjects through clinical glasses, which allows us to understand their conditions more clearly rather cloud our notions with a dozen other cultural, social or even supernatural overtones.

In the fictitious Island Hospital (for mental patients), patients consent to be put through an experimental cure. In this, they are asked to re-enact moments of distress from their own lives. These acts are filmed and then being watched in a screening later. The cure rides on the mechanics of introspection, provided if you are not too adamant or self-righteous. So while viewing the antics of these patients, you are also led to ponder about the power of film and its ability to 'mirror' off things you may fail to see. For a filmmaker whose films often play around with form, this stays in line with his usually surprising repertoire.

The reinventing of form also extends to the way characters are introduced. Characters speak individually to the camera, which represents the point of view of a filmmaker who has sought out to document the experiences of these patients. The dialogue between the camera and the characters also has some variation among certain characters created a rich social texture. For He Zhi Yuan (the man who hit his wife), he has speech problems and communicates through transcripting his thoughts onto a scrap book. There are also the Nepali speaking Valentino and the auntie who rants in Mandarin in the video. The effect of all these makes the film an experiential journey that brings the viewer closer to the patient. We are also not brought too close in a way that would put us out of perspective. There is no excessive drama. Neither is there an attempt to put the mental problems in a social-cultural context. In short, it is clinical.

However, the film does not leave you with just a laboratory view of an issue. There is actually a sentimental tenor to it towards the end. Add that to an overrding atmosphere that haunts you even after you leave the cinema and face your own walls at home. I attribute this to the matrimony its characters, its location and its aural qualities. In fact, the building (where Island Hospital stands) is like another character itself, lurking in our sub-consciousness as we watch the film. Its weather-beaten, grimy walls reverbrating with the melancholic (almost foresaken) tunes of the Chinese song (about being lost) moves me as much as it chills me. If there was a defining shot of the film, it would how the camera tracks across the Renoir painting of a party as that Chinese song drifts on. A forsaken painting of an occasion of merry-making. A song of misdirection over an image of party guests dressed to their nines.

I would not say I am left with answers to the issues presented in the film. Instead, it has opened up far more questions than it can answer - not that the film aims to answer them. But it is easy to see that had the questions been answered, we would have left the film without a whiff of its haunting spirit.

p.s. If I am not wrong, Ho Tzu Nyen's Chinese name in Hanyu Pinyin should be He Zhi Yuan, the name of the man who strangled his wife.